I don't own anything you recognize!

James smiled as his daughter laughed at him, wondering, not for the first time, how he managed to get so lucky. His wife was amazing, and Maisie was beautiful.

His two girls were the only things keeping him from going mad from being stuck in their house for months on end. His friends, too, but they couldn't be with him all the time. James hadn't seen Sirius in a long time, Remus even longer, and no one had heard from Peter in forever.

But it was worth it to keep his family safe.

If he were honest, he'd much rather be on the front lines of the War - actually fighting to keep his family safe - but Dumbledore said it wasn't safe. And Lily, well, she had threatened him since she was pregnant that James couldn't go and "do something to get yourself killed!"

James knew how she felt. Terrified of losing him. Merlin knows he feels the same way. If anything happened to Lily…

Don't think like that, he reminded himself, turning his attention back to Maisie, who, at the moment, was falling asleep on him.

Lily walked in from the kitchen and smiled at them. "Who'd have known", she said quietly, "that James Potter was so good with kids?"

James smiled and handed Maisie to his wife, standing up to stretch.

"No one", he answered. "Mum was convinced I'd set a baby on fire with how I was as a kid."

Lily laughed sadly. Euphemia and Fleamont had died right after the wedding from old age and Dragon Pox.

James was crushed at the idea that they'd never see his family. They had only just barely seen him get married, and even then the witch and wizard weren't doing well at all.

There was a noise outside the window - almost like someone was trying to break the door down.

No. No, no, no.

James turned to his wife. "Run. Go upstairs, protect Maisie. I'll fight them off."

"James, you don't know how many -"

"Lily, go!"

Everything happened in a flash. Lily practically sprinted up the stairs, putting the baby in her cot and listening at the door.

James smirked arrogantly - faking confidence was something he was quite good at - when he saw who the Death Eaters were.

Bellatrix and Rudolphus Lestrange, and Barty Crouch Jr.

Bellatrix cackled. "Oh, would you look at that. My cousin's blood-traitor friend...Tell me, how are mum and dad?"

The story of Sirius running away to the Potters' house had apparently made through the entire family.

"Dead, thanks for asking", he told her, his wand held out in front of him.

"Funny how that works", Crouch Jr. said, "You'll be in that position in a minute or so."

James fought the urge to roll his eyes. A good portion of the Death Eaters he had duelled over the years weren't very bright - Crouch must be another.

"Does your father know where you are, Barty?", James asked, his eyes moving to the younger man but his wand still pointed at the woman.

"Enough of this!", Rudolphus yelled. "Give us the child, and you don't have to die."

Lily came down the stairs just then, her wand raised as she stood by her husband.

"Never", she answered for the both of them. Bellatrix cackled as she stepped towards Lily.

"So brave. A little too brave for someone in your position. Now, give us the baby, you filthy Mudblood."

James shot a silent Stupefy at her, which she easily missed.

The battle had begun.

James ran at Rudolphus, shooting hexes the entire way. Lily duelled Bellatrix, while Crouch rushed to the other man's aid.

James was the first to fall. He turned to look at Lily and a silent Killing Curse hit his chest.

Lily blocked another curse as she averted her eyes from his body. No, he can't be…

In the same way, Crouch shot the Curse at her and Lily fell.

Aurors showed up a moment later, quickly stunning and arrested the three Death Eaters.

Sirius came as soon as the Aurors left, his heart sinking as he took in the destroyed home.

He gasped when he saw them.

James had his mouth open - as if he was yelling something or about to cast a spell - his wand next to him.

Lily's dark red hair was fanned out around her, her eyes wide. Her wand had made it across the room.

Sirius' attention was ripped away from them by the sound of a baby crying.

Maisie. She was okay! He took the stairs two at a time and threw open the door to the nursery.

Maisie was standing in her cot, crying, Sirius assumed, for Lily. She seemed to calm down a bit when she saw her godfather.

"Hey there, love", he said gently, picking her up and holding her close. "Shhh. It's okay. It's alright."

He knew he was lying, but he didn't know what else to say.

00000

As Hagrid took Maisie from him, Sirius let himself cry for the first time that night.

Peter. It was all Peter's fault. He was going to pay for this.

Sirius didn't care what he had to do, Peter was going to pay for what he had done.